I saw this mock over at Cowboys Zone. I obviously love the first pick. I'd hope that with Lee, Carter, Connor (under contract), and Lemon looking promising on the Practice Squad, we don't address ILB so high.

1) T.J. McDonald, USC, S
Athletic, intelligent, versatile. Add in that he's a team captain and a RKG at a position of need and it makes this pick really easy. I think this will re-enforce Rob's preference of having dual-skillset safeties. I'm rooting for a pure centerfielding ball hawk but I don't see us moving in that direction sadly.

2) Travis Frederick, Wisconsin, OG/C
Tons of versatility (can play across the line) and has very good lateral movement for a man weighing 338. Gets to the second level and pulls with ease. With a very deep crop of interior lineman one of them is getting pushed. Would not be surprised to see Frederick stick around for one more year to put himself in a better position draft slot wise.

Other options would be Cooper (UNC),

3)Kawann Short, Purdue, DE/NT
Short has all the tools but hasn't put them together as of yet. I've seen plays where he is tripled and manages to push the pocket. Other plays he's singling against a Center and he is has zero push and looks lazy. If he had a relentless motor he'd be competing with Star but in the 3rd this is a smart place to take a chance on a potential 1st round talent. Envisioning him pushing Spears/Coleman off the roster next year.

4)Micah Hyde, Iowa, CB/S
Versatile. Team leader. Solid build with excellent hips. Immediately would push Butler for the 5th CB slot as well as provide additional depth at FS. In certain schemes (see deep-middle) I'd be comfortable asking him to play FS. Full-time I still see his position at CB. Seen his value placed all over the board with the majority seeing him as a 4th rounder so I stuck him here.

D you're a big USC fan right, do you see TJ as a legit center fielder? I think he is definetly a good prospect but more of a jack of all master of non kind of guy. I could see him as a nice fit at SS if the team decided to go that route instead of developing Church/Johnson.

D you're a big USC fan right, do you see TJ as a legit center fielder? I think he is definetly a good prospect but more of a jack of all master of non kind of guy. I could see him as a nice fit at SS if the team decided to go that route instead of developing Church/Johnson.

I think he would be a certain upgrade for us, but I'm not in love with him and I don't think he is an elite free safety. That said, I like him a lot better than Barron and Barron went super high. So what the heck do I know. If we got him where I project us to be picking (2nd half of the round), then I would be very pleased with the pick.

If we're going Safety in Round 1, I don't think a SS makes sense. I would imagine drafting TJ means we're playing him at FS.

Ryan Cook has been doing a decent job for us 2 weeks into the season. Not ready to crown him yet, but it does lessen the desire for needing first round upgrade for now. For the record, Livings has been our best OL too. Hopefully, he can keep it up and we've got a keeper. Mack on the other hand, has been struggling, and I would love nothing more than a more dominant OL to control games. Warmack would be a huge step forward towards accomplishing that.

Round 2. Jake Matthews, RT - Texas A&M - 6'5, 305

Truthfully, our 2 tackles have been playing the worst among all our OL. Smith took huge strides from Game 1 to Game 2 though and is still learning to play that side, so there's nothing to fear there. But the way Doug Free is playing is just as bad as last year if not worse. There ain't no way in hell that we should be giving him $7M+ next season. According to PFF, he's ranked as one of the worst Tackles in the game. Where is the guy we saw in 2010? Those days seem like a lifetime ago. Matthews is probably the most dominant RT in the country and would be ready to go from day 1. The savings from cutting Free can go towards a top player in FA.

Round 3. Shamarko Thomas, SS - Syracuse - 5'10, 252

If Mike Jenkins' play at Safety works out for us as hoped (praying it does), then our need at FS doesn't have to be as pressing as we once thought. There is good depth in this draft at that position that we can also take advantage of. One of my favorites in the entire class has become SS Shamarko Thomas. He stood out to me in the USC game and I had to do some further research. Needless to say, I like what I found so far. He's built like a tank and brings a fiery competitive demeanor to the field.

Round 4. Levine Toilolo, TE - Stanford - 6'7, 265

Jason Witten is not as bad as he was in Week 2, but there's no doubt that his better days are behind him. John Phillips is a FA that I want back, and Hanna is a good depth guy, but we need to continue the search to improve our TE position. Toilolo's length is incredible and he's got the athleticism to boot.

Can't see Jerry going conservative and drafting OL in the first 2 rounds although I would love it and it's what we need.

Shamarko Thomas' athleticism jumped out at me in the USC game as well but his lack of plays in the previous 3 years alarms me. There are so many good looking safeties in this draft , Reid, McDonald, Rambo, Jefferson, Vacarro, I hope we can come out with one of them.

I love, love, love your fourth round pick and hope like hell he's a Cowboy this time next year but IMO there's no way he falls to the 4th round.

Thanks Mac! I plan on doing a mock every week of the regular season. For one, it's damn fun. Two, things are constantly changing. Last week, I totally thought Jenkins was going to be playing Safety, but the Cowboys surprised us with Carr!!! This week all the talk is of him playing BOTH CB and S and his willingness to learn more about playing S just to help the team.

I think we might be modeling the new look NFL secondary of the future. A 4 CB secondary with no traditional Safeties.

D now that you've got me sucked in you can't make anymore mocks without Ray Graham mmm k? Though Warmack and Mathews in the first 2 rounds I'd really like..

I want to draft a G/C hybrid, and then we need to take best RT available in FA or draft one in the first 2 rounds. I'd be fine with every other position as is if we could address those 2 spots with premium players.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Wright

I guarantee that if someone picks Cam Newton in the Top 5 they will regret it.

D now that you've got me sucked in you can't make anymore mocks without Ray Graham mmm k? Though Warmack and Mathews in the first 2 rounds I'd really like..

I want to draft a G/C hybrid, and then we need to take best RT available in FA or draft one in the first 2 rounds. I'd be fine with every other position as is if we could address those 2 spots with premium players.

Haha Ray Graham is a stud, right? Part of the fun of doing these is also to introduce other players that I like, or do different scenarios, so I'm trying not to do too much duplication this early in the season.

It was great to see the willingness of Carr to play S and have success there, but I don't see that as a long term solution. He'll continue to learn the role for the sake of our needs this season, but I honestly don't think that's a permanent role for him. It's doubtful that Jenkins wants to be here after this season. If he is, great, but even with him, we're still scouring the wire for scrap FAs to fill our S needs now, so things probably won't change come draft time. Let's not forget Sensy is on a one year deal either. Vaccaro is a guy who warrants this value, but I still need to learn more about him. You Longhorns fans could probably fill me in. I don't have a man crush here, but maybe I should?

Round 2. Dallas Thomas, OT/OG - Tennessee - 6'4, 320

His name is so fitting isn't it? Dallas Thomas currently plays LG for the Vols, but he made the shift from LT in order for the Vols to fit their best 5 on the field. In draftnik circles, he's still considered a legit top prospect at Tackle. For us, hell... we need help at BOTH OG and OT, so there's no need to be real picky where he plays... let's see what he likes best, and where he plays his best and plug him there. He's another athletic freak in the mold of Tyron Smith athletically... and the more we get of those, the better, imo.

Round 3. Levine Toilolo, TE - Stanford - 6'7, 265

Moved him up a round from last week. Hopefully, that's more acceptable for cmd. lol. Just kidding.... reality is, TE is becoming more and more of a concern. Another week, another blasted performance by Witten. Don't know what's going on in his head. Is he harboring fears of his spleen injury? Something is not right with him. Regardless, the signs are out there. We need to start looking. Phillips and Hanna are nice backups. Asking more is too much.

Round 4. Ace Sanders, WR - South Carolina - 5'8, 178

WHATCHU KNOW BOUT DIS MOTH???

Sanders is an electrifying kick returner! His punt return on Saturday knocked my socks off. But that wasn't all I saw... dude can actually play WR too. With the increasing use and importance of slot WRs in the NFL, I think Sanders can find his niche on the next level playing that role given the right opportunity. His ability to cut on a dime is elite level.

Going with the most common rating on power rankings (15th best team in the league) meaning we'll be drafting 17th. With that in mind......

2013 NFL Mock Draft (Projected 17th pick in the draft):

1) T.J. McDonald, S, USC

The injuries at safety shed a ton of light on how awful our backups are at the position. McDonald not only fits the "versatile" mold in which Ryan likes to run with (interchangeable safeties) as well as possessing elite physical tools. He is NOT Taylor Mays. Again he is not Taylor Mays. He is excellent in coverage, both zone and man-to-man, and has the ability to diagnose a play developing underneath and tackle well. Only reason he's available at 17th is the fantastic depth of safeties in this year's draft.

Don't rule out: Kenny Vaccaro, S, UT

2) Ricky Wagner, OT, Wisconsin

High school TE converted to OT and is an extremely intelligent player. He certainly fits of the mold of Wisconsin lineman (athletic, powerful, blue collar). Excellent pass blocker and an improving run blocker (his footwork is still sloppy) and has a very high ceiling as a prospect.

Don't rule out: Oday Aboushi, OT, UVA

3) Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Georgia Tech

Powerful and proficient run blocker. Has that nasty touch you want in an interior lineman and a powerful punch. His pass protection will of course need work coming from GT but he is a solid knee bender and should have no problems anchoring.

4) Mario Benavides, C, Louisville

Smart. Experienced. He has played against a TON of different defensive fronts (3-3-5, 3-4, 4-3, aggressive 4-3) and great quickness of the snap. Has the ability to get to the second level and attack linebackers in the running game. Interior offensive line is another set of positions I think that has fantastic depth allowing prospects to slip a bit further than they would in a weaker year.

Nice mock Trog! Spot on point with TJ being able to play either Safety spot. I'm not the biggest fan of Wagner, but the need is there and the value matches up nicely. Uzzi was in one of my mocks last year and thule ripped the pick because he plays in Paul Johnson's offense... but I like his skills too! I dunno anything about that Mario Benavides guy. Cool mention.

1) Jon Cooper 6'3 320, G/C North Carolina- Battle tested guard with some potential to kick inside to center if need be. Not an elite athlete but is smooth and plays with an edge. Frederick would be a nice fit if he declares as would Warmack if he slides down into our range. Interior line needs to be a priority and must be addressed in the first two rounds.

2) Margus Hunt 6'7 280, DE SMU Physical Freak in the mold of Julius Peppers / Mario Williams. Expected to run in the 4.6's which is astounding considering his size, has frame to easily pack on 15-20 lbs of good weight. Has some technique flaws and doesn't always dominate the way he should and that is why is is available in the late second round.

3)Brandon Jenkins 6'3 260, OLB Florida St I have a good feeling that Jenkins will opt out of a medical redshirt and declare for the draft. His injury happened early enough in the season that he has plenty of time to rehab before making his decision. With the success of drafting Sean Lee and Bruce Carter off of injuries the team should have no problem going this route again. Spencer is eligible for another franchise season and Wilber will have a season under his belt to hold down the position year one.

4)DJ Fluker 6'6 335, OT/OG Alabama Overrated to an extent due to the talent around him (Warmack/ Jones), doesn't have the athleticism to play LT and if he doesn't keep his weight in check he may be relegated to guard at the next level. That being said he has the size/strength the engulf defenders in the run game and has decent lateral movement for his size.50/50 player could be dominant or be a conditioning night mare.

5)Kejon Barner 5'9 185, RB Oregon Third down back / Return specialist with the ability to hit the homerun. Undersized but has excellent speed in the open field and has good hands out of the backfield.

6) Mark Harrison 6'3 230, Rutgers Big target with natural hands, can pluck the pull out of the air and make plays in traffic. Team captain who is experienced and savy with his routes. Time Speed is sub par and inconsistent QB play through out career has hurt him in the stats dept.

7) Jordan Rodgers 6'1 213, Vanderbilt Younger brother of Aaron, shares a lot of the same qualities. Is mobile and can make plays on the move, is not as accurate as his brother and is on the short side for a QB. Good developmental prospect who can become a solid player.

Side note, I did not put a safety in the draft because I feel the team likes Church and McCray has shown signs that he can be a solid fill in when needed. Also, Matt Johnson has the ability to play free safety and strong safety if he gets healthy.

Also, 5tech may seem like a luxary but consider Coleman is a FA after this season, Hatcher has one year left on his deal and will be looking for a pay day. Sean Lissemore's extension does not lock him into a starting role and I think he is just as valueable rotating positions to create matchups. Crawford is still developing and has a very managable contract, Spears will be the highest paid end on the roster avg 3 mil a year. As much as I like Crawford/Lissemore and the relit fire from Spears there still isn't an elite player at the position.

NT is a position that I'd love to address but Josh Brent has earned the confidence of the coaches going foward. Ratliff still has a little left in the tank and will get his opportunities especially in pass rush situations.

I'm feelin' the Warmack love in here, we need more lineman who can win in a phonebooth... tired of seeing our OL get dominated at the POA. Warmack's not the greatest athlete in space but at this point I don't really care, I just want to see some damn movement up front. Plug him in next to Tyron and let him maul DTs for the next decade. He'll bring some much needed nasty with him too.

I don't believe in taking safeties in R1 unless they're elite. We've got enough invested in the secondary, they're on their own so to speak

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-Unit

2013 MOCK 4.0

Round 1. Kenny Vaccaro, S - Texas - 6'1, 218

It was great to see the willingness of Carr to play S and have success there, but I don't see that as a long term solution. He'll continue to learn the role for the sake of our needs this season, but I honestly don't think that's a permanent role for him. It's doubtful that Jenkins wants to be here after this season. If he is, great, but even with him, we're still scouring the wire for scrap FAs to fill our S needs now, so things probably won't change come draft time. Let's not forget Sensy is on a one year deal either. Vaccaro is a guy who warrants this value, but I still need to learn more about him. You Longhorns fans could probably fill me in. I don't have a man crush here, but maybe I should?

Round 2. Dallas Thomas, OT/OG - Tennessee - 6'4, 320

His name is so fitting isn't it? Dallas Thomas currently plays LG for the Vols, but he made the shift from LT in order for the Vols to fit their best 5 on the field. In draftnik circles, he's still considered a legit top prospect at Tackle. For us, hell... we need help at BOTH OG and OT, so there's no need to be real picky where he plays... let's see what he likes best, and where he plays his best and plug him there. He's another athletic freak in the mold of Tyron Smith athletically... and the more we get of those, the better, imo.

Round 3. Levine Toilolo, TE - Stanford - 6'7, 265

Moved him up a round from last week. Hopefully, that's more acceptable for cmd. lol. Just kidding.... reality is, TE is becoming more and more of a concern. Another week, another blasted performance by Witten. Don't know what's going on in his head. Is he harboring fears of his spleen injury? Something is not right with him. Regardless, the signs are out there. We need to start looking. Phillips and Hanna are nice backups. Asking more is too much.

Round 4. Ace Sanders, WR - South Carolina - 5'8, 178

WHATCHU KNOW BOUT DIS MOTH???

Sanders is an electrifying kick returner! His punt return on Saturday knocked my socks off. But that wasn't all I saw... dude can actually play WR too. With the increasing use and importance of slot WRs in the NFL, I think Sanders can find his niche on the next level playing that role given the right opportunity. His ability to cut on a dime is elite level.

Is it completely crazy to think that IF the Cowboys get a top 12 pick that they may let Romo go in free agency and draft Tyler Wilson? I mean at that point Garrett is gone, Jerry is a huge Arkansas homer (see Felix Jones pick) and would be the big time splash that Jones loves to make.

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